A Welcome Gift for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Community
Ways to Give Back During the Holidays
Ahana’s Story of Strength with High-Risk Neuroblastoma Every day, over 1,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer,1 and for many families, that diagnosis means facing an uncertain future. At just 20 months old, Ahana was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer that had already spread through her small body. Her family’s search for life-saving childhood cancer treatments led them from South Africa to Spain and possibly toward a clinical trial in New York. Ahana’s journey shows the importance of supporting organizations like Solving Kids’ Cancer, which works to find, fund, and advocate for advanced treatments that give hope to families fighting against tough-to-treat rare pediatric cancers.
Advancing Childhood Cancer Research: SKC’s 2024 Milestones
Lace Up for Kids: Your Impact on Childhood Cancer Research At Solving Kids’ Cancer, our mission has always been driven by hope — hope for better treatments, hope for breakthroughs, and most importantly, hope for every child fighting cancer. This year’s Lace Up for Kids campaign was nothing short of inspiring. Together, we’ve raised over $264,000 across the entire campaign, funding innovative childhood cancer research and providing more treatment options for children in need. From coast to coast, nearly 4,000 participants have stepped up to lace up their gold shoelaces and make a difference. Whether it was through schools, sports teams, or community groups, the show of support has been overwhelming throughout the years. Over 7,823 donations have been made to accelerate new treatments, and the hashtag #CareWearShare has been used 13,864 times, spreading the message far and wide!
Gold Laces for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Erin’s Story
Smithtown Goes Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Lace Up for Kids 2024
Osteosarcoma Survivor to Surgeon: Dr. Kurt Weiss’ Story
Jacob’s Journey: A Childhood Cancer Survivor’s Story Every battle has its heroes, and among the bravest are young children like Jacob Mozer, who faced stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma when he was barely old enough to walk. Diagnosed at only 16 months old, Jacob’s early years were filled with constant medical appointments and intense treatments. Despite these challenges, today, Jacob is a shining example of the remarkable progress in pediatric oncology. He’s not merely surviving; he’s thriving as a pharmacy resident, driven to give back to the medical community that gave him a second chance at life. During National Cancer Survivors Month this June, we honor and celebrate fighters like Jacob who have battled cancer and emerged stronger. This month also serves to amplify the conversation about pediatric cancer survivorship and push for vital research that continues to save lives. Solving Kids’ Cancer (SKC) plays an essential role in this effort, supporting children like Jacob by funding crucial clinical trials that enhance survival rates and improve the quality of life for those fighting fatal childhood cancers.
Trailblazing Treatments for Pediatric Brain Tumors Picture a fortress built to guard precious treasure but accidentally also keeps out the very allies it needs in a time of crisis. This is the challenge faced by medical researchers when dealing with the brain’s natural defense — the blood-brain barrier — especially in children with brain tumors. At Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Luca Szalontay is leading the charge to breach this fortress with groundbreaking approaches. Recently, Dr. Timothy Cripe from Solving Kids’ Cancer’s podcast, This Week in Pediatric Oncology (TWIPO) , interviewed Dr. Szalontay to delve deeper into these innovative treatments. This Brain Tumor Awareness Month, we’re shining a light on these important advances in treating children’s cancer. Understanding the Challenge Treating pediatric brain tumors like diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is especially tough because of the brain’s own protective shield, known as the blood-brain barrier. This barrier keeps out most chemotherapy drugs as well as large molecules, like antibodies, making it hard to treat the tumors effectively. Dr. Szalontay describes the dilemma: “Our field hasn’t been able to advance as quickly as it has with leukemias or other solid tumors because the drugs don’t penetrate the brain efficiently.” She adds on the nature of this blood-brain barrier, “It’s evolutionary, very important to protect us from different toxins and harmful agents, but this is a shield which protects the tumor as well.” Even when drugs work well in lab tests, they struggle to get to the tumor in strong enough doses without harming the body. Dr. Szalontay also points out that DMG tumors are found in very sensitive areas of the brain, making traditional surgery or radiation risky because they could damage vital brain functions. This makes finding safe and effective treatments for these tumors even more challenging. So, what’s being done to tackle these obstacles and help kids fight these tumors?
